


The Little Mermaid

by Aruthla



Series: Once upon a time [2]
Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Again, Fairytail AU, Illegal Imprisonment, vague description of a dead person
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-11-25 22:31:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18172307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aruthla/pseuds/Aruthla
Summary: Maglor could feel the sea breeze blowing behind him, the rock crumbling under his feet as he stood on the edge. Gently, he straightened his head and-smiled, letting himself fall backwards.





	The Little Mermaid

He was in pain. His body hurt. His head hurt. Even breathing hurt him. He couldn't feel his arms anymore, while his fingers were as cold as the mountains of Helcaraxë. The iron of the chains burned his skin and his fever didn't help to soothe his pain. The echo of his wheezing filled the putrid air of his cell. The creaking of a door resounded as the sound of footsteps pounding the stone floor resounded in the dungeon. Despite himself, his body was shaken. Brutally, a hand grabbed his hair, forcing him to lift his head. Two eyes filled with rage stared at him, the features of his face distorted by hatred. 

 

"Why ...?" He articulated with difficulty. "Why does your brother refuse to talk to me? Answer me!" He shouted in the absence of an answer. "Why Makalaurë ?!"

 

Only whimperings answered him as the blows rained down on the one who had been the second prince of King Fëanor, who was only the shadow of himself after having spent fifteen years locked in the dungeons from Formenos. The eyes of the prince were nothing but shafts of darkness without life, where the image of a being in his image was reflected. 

 

"I'll make you talk, Makalaurë. Be certain." Spit the reflection after one last blow as he held an iron fist in the prince's hair, before forcibly throwing his head against the wall. "Make sure he stays alive!" He barked at a maid who had stood in the shadows. 

"Yes," she replied in a voice void of emotion. 

"Yes who?" He hissed. 

"Yes Prince Kanafinwe."

 

With a huff, the copy left the dungeons, leaving the maid and the imprisoned prince. When the silence returned, the servant lost all her poise and rushed to the inert form of the prince. Quickly, she undid the chains on the wrists and ankles of the prince, before lying him on the ground. With an expert hand, she examined each of the wounds that marked her prince's white skin, using her magic to heal them, leaving only fine scars. For a brief moment, her gaze landed on the prince's throat, marking by many coarse scars.

It had been fifteen years since their king was gone, that the first prince was a prisoner of Morgoth while the second prince was the one of the puppet and the corrupt council, that Madame had disappeared with the sixth and seventh princes while the Master Rúmil had disappeared with the third and fourth princes, and the fifth prince was at the court of High King Finwe. She had the impression that it dated back to yesterday, when the council had wanted to assassinate Madame and have the princes imprisoned, that they had fled, only for the second prince to be captured by her fault and that rather than to let without a story, decided to destroy his voice so as not to give them anything. Fifteen long years of suffering and soon it will end for her prince, even if she were to lose her life. 

A whimpering caught her attention pulling her from her dark thoughts. Even with his eyes glazed and struggling to keep his eyes open, her prince looked at her with anxiety. Despite herself, she felt the tears come to her eyes. Gently, she took him in her arms humming a lullaby while rocking him gently. 

 

* * *

Slowly, he woke up. He wanted to get up but found something was stopped him. Just lifting his head, he found Tyelko had decided to use him as a pillow, while Nelyo found he was making a great teddy bear. Beside Tyelko, Curvo seemed to be a little hungry since he was busy eating the hair of his third brother, while Moryo used him as a teddy bear. Turning his head, he looked for Ambarussa but didn't see them among his brothers. Gently pulling an arm out of Nelyo's grip, he gently moved Tyelko who clung to him.

 

" _ Let me help you Kana _ ," a warm voice whispered. 

 

Before being able to answer, two babies appeared in his field of vision. Immediately, Tyelko took one in his arms, while Nelyo took the other. Free of his brothers, Kana allowed himself to be pulled back by two arms. Raising his head, he saw his father smiling at him gently, who became a light laugh when he buried his head in his father's night clothes. Gently, his father stroked his hair, humming a vague air of music. 

 

"Atto ..."

" _ Yes Kana? _ "

I'm scared," he murmured.

" _Of w_ __hat_? _ "

" To lose everyone ... "

" _... I would like to tell you that you have no reason to fear such a thing but unfortunately, few know what life holds. I would like to tell you that this is the natural order of things but it would be lying to you since the Ainur, the greatest wizards of our world, are not subject to time. I would like to tell you that I would never let such a thing happen but I refuse to lock you up to lose none of you. I would like to tell you a lot of things that would do nothing to appease your fears. That's why I'll tell you this instead: No matter what happens in the future, I'll always be by your side. _ "  He whispered, his arms guarding his precious child beside him.

"Even if Eru calls you back beyond Ekkaia?"

" _ I'll stay by your side until the end and not even Eru can stop me. _ "

I'm afraid atto," he whispered in a sniff. 

" _ Me too Kana, me too. _ "

I don't want this nightmare ..."

" _ Me neither ... But, you know, every nightmare can turn into a dream if you have the courage to face it, _ " he murmured. " _ Don't you want to see how you could turn this nightmare? _ "

" ... Would I have pain? "

" _ I don't know, but it's likely. _ "  He replied with a sad smile. 

"Will you stay by my side?"

" _ Always. _ "

Promise?"

" _ Promise my precious voice, _ " he whispered, crossing his little finger with his son's, before taking him in his arms, cradling him until he fell asleep. 

 

" _ I'm sorry I can not protect you better, you and your brothers ... _ " were the last words Kana heard before sinking into a deep sleep. 

 

* * *

He woke up as the grinding sound of his cell door resounded in the room. Looking up, he saw Uldor, Moryo's former chevalier, looking dark. He stepped into the room, ignoring the deadly glare of the second brother of the child who had saved him from death, before turning him into a chevalier.

 

"Nurondur is dead."

 

For a moment, Maglor looked at Uldor without understanding what he had just said, then suddenly his words made sense. Tears slid down his cheeks and he didn't try to hold them back, far too weak for that. 

 

"She tried to murder Kanafinwë. At present, she is at a stake in the public square. I personally lighted the fire and Kanafinwë and all the members of the Council are watching. "

 

The hatred in the eyes of Maglor became stronger and for a brief moment, Uldor had the impression to face King Fëanor . 

 

"Her last words were: Long live to the Star of Fire," he continued anyway. 

 

Never had Maglor hated with such force, but in his eyes Morgoth and all those who had sworn to him deserved a thousand deaths before being thrown through the Gate of Night. In spite of the tears that flooded his vision, he continued to hatefully stare at the bird of misery standing in front of him, a hate that redoubled when he saw Uldor approaching him. But his hatred turned to confusion when he took off the shackles that hindered his limbs. 

 

"Her last wish was that I save you," he said as the only explanation, before taking him on his back and leaving the prison.

 

Discreetly, the duo slipped between the corridors, avoiding the patrols of soldiers and the servants who ran in all directions to fulfill the orders of the corrupt Nobles. Slipping from shadow to shadow, they reached the Great Gate. However, it opened and Kanafinwe advanced, accompanied by the Council and four soldiers who carried a deformed and blackish mass. The air of the palace was filled with a foul odor of burnt flesh and Maglor had to make a great effort not to vomit on seeing the sinister cortege pass by them. Silently, Uldor turned back, moving away from the Great Gate. As they slipped down a hallway, they heard a soldier warn of Maglor's disappearance, who tensed, persuaded that Uldor was going to betray him. However, instead of returning to the Great Gate, he continued to walk down the red-painted hallway. Turning his head, Maglor tried to find his way around the palace, but unfortunately that corridor didn't tell him anything. Briefly, he wondered how much the rats had modified the palace. 

 

"It's the advice wing, but it's hardly used anymore," said Uldor, who seemed not to have lost his hand when someone had a question. "Few parts of the castle have changed, since for some unknown reason, corridors have become suddenly inaccessible. The Council was furious when they realized it. "

 

This news drew a smile from Maglor, imagining the outraged faces of the traitors. However, that smile disappeared quickly when Urdor had to back off sharply to avoid a rain of arrow. 

 

"I was expecting someone other than you, Uldor," Kanafinwe's voice sounded. "I'm surprised, really. After all, you didn't hesitate a single second when you threw Prince Celegorm into the Great Wolf's well. Or even when you tried to kill your little prince on the day of the revolt," jeered the copy. 

 

Maglor knew that Uldor was bad, that blood tinged his hands, but he never imagined that one of his brothers was on it. With difficulty, he swallowed his rage, since for the moment, he was completely dependent of Uldor to manage to escape. 

The armor echo sounded in the corridor and Uldor didn't lose a second to turn back. Taking an adjoining corridor, he narrowly avoided another flight of arrows. While Uldor was trying to lose their pursuers, Maglor was trying to remember the secret passages that roamed the castle. He remembered two, one in the Great Hall of Kings, the other in the cabinet of ministers, but with the guards at their heels, they couldn't go there. At the corner of a corridor, they found themselves in a dead end. It was then that Maglor remembered that there weren't only secret passages to escape in the palace, but also shortcuts!

Pointing at the candlestick on the wall, Maglor gestured to Uldor to get closer to it. Focusing what little magic he had in him, Maglor managed to light the candles in the proper order. A discreet sound of mechanism was heard and a door was revealed on their right. At the same time, the traitors arrived, Kanafinwe at their head, even if more than one nobleman tried to prevent him from rushing towards them. Immediately, Uldor darted into the opening, throwing Maglor to the floor before closing the passage as a guard slipped his sword into the opening. Under the weight of the door, the soldier's arm was crushed and the duo could hear the guard's howl of pain.

Leaning on the door, Uldor tried to hear what he was saying on the other side. He vaguely heard Kanafinwë's voice telling the soldiers to fetch a ram to smash the wall, but otherwise the wall would let only a few sounds.

 

"We'll be safe for a little-"

 

Just so, Uldor avoided the sword that fell where he stood a few moments earlier. Looking up at Maglor, he watched the struggling prince stand up. It was more than obvious that the sword was too heavy for him, yet he kept trying to wield it and kill Uldor. With speed, he slipped behind the prince, whom he knocked down at once on the nape of the neck.

 

* * *

It's a jolt that woke him up. Straightening up quickly, he found Uldor already on his feet, tying a thin son between two pillars of stones.

 

"Do you know where we are in this labyrinth?" He questioned, acting as if he hadn't tried to kill him shortly before.

 

A new shake and Maglor nodded. Rising, he realized that all his wounds had disappeared. Running his hand over his throat, he realized that the scars had also disappeared. Looking up at Uldor, he found him staring at him with his amber eyes that only came alive in the presence of Moryo. Starting up, he realized that all the pains had disappeared, while his stomach seemed full since the first time in fifteen years.

 

"You did not think I was going to wear you all the time," Uldor said without looking at him.

 

Feeling the anger rising in him, Maglor gave him the middle finger before taking the lead, guiding the eldest in the underground maze, which was shaken by a new explosion, forcing the duo to accelerate. 

Suddenly, an arrow passed just above their head. Without turning, they began to run, as more and more arrows flew in their direction. Continuing to run, they eventually arrived at a junction. Engaging in the rightmost branch, they continued running as the sound of their pursuers' armor grew closer and closer. However, facing them was a dead end. Without hesitation, Maglor heading for a precise rock on the wall, which opened to reveal a corridor. 

Brutally, he found himself throwing forward. Turning around, he found Uldor, an arrow in his shoulder. The latter stared at him for a brief moment, before activating the lever to close the passage. He grabbed a bag he had been wearing from the beginning and threw it at Maglor, who wanted to grab Uldor to pull him to the other side of the opening.

 

"Tell my little prince that I'm sorry I can not keep my promise," he whispered, smiling for the first time at someone other than Moryo.

 

At the same moment, the wall closed. 

 

For a few moments, Maglor sat on the floor, not understanding what had happened. Then an explosion took place, causing dust to fall from the ceiling. It also had the effect of getting Maglor out of his torpor, who got up and ran. He continued running, even though the effects of the portion for the pains began to dissipate. But he didn't stop. On the contrary, he accelerated when he saw a door at the end of the corridor. Without stopping, he entered the room, before blocking the door with a wooden beam.

It was only when he was sure that the door wouldn't give way immediately, that he slid down the wall, struggling to catch his breath. Opening his eyes, he looked at the room. It was a secret room, the only ones to know of its existence was his father and his brothers, and for the good and simple reason that it was the workshop of their father. A place where they had spent time admiring their father gave life to their dream. Getting up with difficulty, he went to the nearest shelf and began to look at the potions it contained, looking for a specific one. 

He didn't know how long he spent searching, but when he heard the door shake, he stopped admiring his father's thousand creations. He could hear behind him the cries of rage from his pursuers, as their swords came down on the wood of the door. Looking on different shelves, Maglor didn't hesitate to throw the flakes that did not match what he was looking for on the floor. The sound of broken glass bottles mingled with orders barked by Morgoth's dogs. He knew that the bar blocking access wouldn't last, pushing him to be faster and faster in his searches. After throwing a new flake on the ground, he finally found the potion he was looking for. At the same moment, the sound of an axe shattering the door sounded. Surprised, Maglor turned to face a wall of fire. On the other side of the flames, the soldiers screamed to bring water, while some tried to brave the burning curtain to capture Maglor, who spun through an arch.

Following the corridor, he finally arrived at a terrace cut into the cliff itself, overlooking the sea. At the foot, sharp reefs were prone to attacks by the waves of a rough sea. For a brief moment, fear, a fear of the most primal, took him. He knew that his plan was unlikely to work, that if he missed, either he would die or he would be locked up again, making vain the sacrifice of those who had helped him to escape. Forcing himself to calm down, he uncorked the bottle and drink it. When the last drop fell from the bottle, his jailers arrived, while the soldiers blocked the corridor.

 

"Turn yourself immediately!" Shouted one of the traitors, "You have no way to escape!"

 

Maglor could feel the sea breeze blowing behind him, the rock crumbling under his feet as he stood on the edge. Gently, he straightened his head and-

 

smiled, letting himself fall backwards.

**Author's Note:**

> Can be found on [tumblr](http://aruthla.tumblr.com/).


End file.
